Take me home tonight
by Shadowheart17
Summary: Sure, he loved and respected Tony as a good friend, and sure, maybe sometimes feelings that felt stronger than friendship lingered on his mind, but he always wished to keep it strictly professional. He never entertained the thought that Tony, the infamous playboy, the recluse, the genius would ever think twice about a guy like Steve. But here they were.


Hello everyone! I've been having a lot of Avengers feels lately aaaaand my next pairing victims are Steve/Tony/Stony! Reviews are always loved and if you don't like flammin' stuff like this, click back right now :D

* * *

The last thing Steve Rogers was expecting on his peaceful Friday night was a phone call at nearly one in the morning from Tony Stark. Truthfully, he wasn't asleep or anything when the phone rang; as a matter of fact, he was curled on the sofa, watching late-night reality t.v., eating ice cream and wondering how "famous" people could be so publicly obnoxious.

"Hello?" Steve mumbled, pretending to be half-awake so maybe he could guilt trip Tony into not calling him so late again.

"Yeah, uh...is this... 'The Cap'?" An unfamiliar voice asked, shouting over the volume in the background. Steve held the phone away from his ear, cutting the sleeping act and changing his voice into his more commanding side.

"Yes sir. Who are you and why do you have Tony's phone?" He asked firmly.

"Mr. Stark, ah...passed out here and you were the first number on his emergency "just in case" list, I guess," the man replied. "Which, I guess, probably translates into 'someone to come get me in case I pass out in the club' list."

Steve sighed; on one hand, he was honored to be Tony's go-to man in case of an emergency, but at the same time, he wished that didn't mean the emergency would be at an ungodly hour.

"Uh...yeah. I'll be there in a little bit." The disgruntled Captain got the address of Tony's chosen resting place and called a cab. While he waited, he changed into his normal attire ("old-man style" as Tony often called it) and watched a bit more television before the buzzer finally went off and he left.

The taxi driver was rather excited when he realized he'd be having Captain America and Iron Man in his car at the same time in one night. Rather embarrassed, Steve gave the man the address and sat in the back, his posture as rigid as always as he watched the passing city-scape out the window. Sometimes, he reflected tiredly, it was exhausting living in a city that never sleeps. Though he guessed he didn't feel that way in his youth.

When the car pulled over at the club, Steve jumped out of the car and waded through the crowd with as much politeness as he could muster, though it quickly faded as the throng of people nearly crushed him in their excitement to see Tony Stark. _At least it's not me they're swarming for,_ he reflected, nearly throwing himself at the door. A bouncer was standing just inside the doorway, supporting a very frazzled-looking Tony.

"I'm here for him!" Steve shouted over the horrible pop music that flooded around them, pointing at the billionaire.

"Hey, Rogers! About time ya' show up!" Tony slurred, waving his hand lazily through the air. The bouncer nodded and handed Tony over, moving past Steve to, thankfully, create a path through the mass of people so the Captain could easily get to their waiting cab. Tony stumbled along with him, still bobbing his head to the fading music and waving to everyone; typical for him, always drawing attention. Steve ducked his head and practically threw Tony into the cab when the bouncer opened the door for him.

"Thanks!" Steve called, slipping into the car beside his teammate and shutting the door. He gave the address to Tony's house before the crowd of fans could overtake their car, and away they went. The billionaire slumped over on Steve's shoulder every left turn they took and eventually the Captain stopped shoving him off and let him rest there, hiding his embarrassment by looking out the window once more.

"Thanks, Cap...I guess I owe ya one, right?" Tony hiccuped, his warm breath blasting Steve's neck suddenly, making the little hairs there stand up in alarm and his heart flutter with familiar old feelings. He looked back over at the brunette and smiled faintly.

"This is what I'm here for, right?" He asked, only half-joking to hide his embarrassment. Tony shrugged lazily, and offered his own lopsided smirk.

"Guess so."

They lapsed into silence for the last few minutes of the drive. Steve was surprised; from what he'd heard, Tony was usually a loud drunk, but now he seemed content to lean heavily on the Captain. Better than causing a scene, Steve reflected as he handed the driver money and half-dragged, half-carried the brunette out of the car.

As they staggered out into the cool night air, Steve noticed the heat radiating off the brunette, just as he said:

"Hey, Cap...I don't feel so good," Tony slurred, clutching at his stomach. Alarm shot through Steve and he decided the fastest way to get him safely inside was to carry him in bridal-style. He stifled the blush that was creeping into his cheeks, reminded himself firmly that he was doing it for Tony's sake, and swept the groaning billionaire into his arms.

Despite his lean form, Tony was surprisingly light (though just about everything was light to Rogers anyways). He jogged up the steps, careful not to jar Tony too much, and rang the doorbell. As always, Jarvis' cool voice answered.

"Name and affiliation?"

"Er...Steve Rogers, Cap-"

"Come right in, Mr. Rogers."

The door clicked and swung open, much to Steve's surprise. He was told there was a very select list of people that could get in without any special permission from Mr. Stark himself; as far as Steve knew, Pepper was the only one on that list. He made a mental note to ask Tony about that later and stepped inside, immediately heading for the elevator that would take them up to the penthouse. Tony was looking more and more pale and sickly as the seconds ticked by and Steve tapped his foot impatiently, praying to the gods above that they made it in time.

Finally, the elevator stopped and opened with a light ping noise. Steve hurried the billionaire over to the bathroom and set him down gently. He didn't want the brunette to wake up tomorrow and realize he had thrown up all over his nice coat, so he quickly but smoothly pulled it off as Tony leaned over the bowl and waited for the first rounds of vomit to come. Steve, knowing he wasn't needed for this part, mumbled an apology and ducked out of the bathroom, shutting the door on his way out.

"Jarvis, could you, um...play some soothing music and tell me where the aspirin is?" Steve asked, blocking out the awful retching noises Tony was making in the next room.

"Certainly, sir. There is some in the bathroom of Mr. Stark's room," the computer said, playing a light, soothing track of classical by some artist the blond couldn't guess. Still, it was better than listening to someone vomiting up their insides.

The blond wandered down the hall, admiring once more the sleek look the house had. Personally, Rogers preferred the old-style kind of houses, like the one he grew up in, but he could also appreciate the stylishly futuristic look that Stark chose. The contrast between the two of them hit him for the billionth time, and he smiled faintly; the man out of time versus the man ahead of his time. That never failed to make him laugh inside.

To his surprise, Tony's room was nearly as barren as Steve's apartment. To be honest, he was almost expecting another miniature lab with a small bed in the corner for him to crash in every once in a while, but that was not the case. The walls were a soft white, contrasting with the black comforter that was spread neatly across a huge, comfortable-looking bed. A large flat-screen was mounted on the wall directly opposite from the bed with a small dresser underneath it. Moonlight filtered in through the cracks in the blinds, bathing the room in an angelic and peaceful glow.

Steve stepped in hesitantly, feeling uncomfortable in someone else's room, but determined to find the aspirin for Tony's sake. He checked the bedside drawer first, but immediately slammed it shut, feeling his face turning red at the sight of its contents. Steve stumbled towards the adjacent bathroom next, praying there was no more _rather embarrassing items_ to be found. He checked the first few drawers below the sink only to find them nearly empty, save for a couple of combs, a toothbrush and toothpaste. To his relief, he found the aspirin behind the mirror in a small hidey-hole of sorts.

He had barely shut the mirror before heavy footsteps sounded just around the corner. The blond snatched up the medicine and poked his head around the corner, hands held high in a sign of surrender.

"Er, Jarvis told me the aspirin was back here, and-"

"No need to explain, Cap, I know your intentions are always nothing but pure," Tony interrupted, sounding hoarse and tired. "But if you don't mind, I'd like to change in peace. Toss the meds on the bed and fetch me a glass of water, will you?"

Steve nodded, resenting the servant treatment silently, and left the room, shutting the door behind him. He heard Tony grumble something unintelligible as he walked away and smiled to himself; serves him right for dragging Steve away from his mindless show at one in the morning to rescue his sorry butt. Still, the Captain knew he didn't exactly have anyone else to rely on and felt a little bit better about the whole situation; after all, Steve Rogers was the best man for a crisis situation. And he didn't mind taking care of Tony one bit.

The blond located the kitchen and a glass, filling it with crystal-clear, ice cold water and made his way back to Tony. Exhaustion suddenly weighed on him like a boulder, making his shoulders slump and his feet drag a little. He'd quickly get Tony into bed and either crash on his couch (which didn't exactly sound appealing), or take another cab home (which also didn't sound appealing). But he was Captain America, the Star Spangled Man with a Plan, and he'd get home one way or another tonight.

Tony was dressed in baggy sweat pants and a loose t-shirt when Steve came back, sprawled out on the bed but still awake.

"C'mon Tony, you have to take this so I can get home," the blond murmured, handing the glass over. Tony sat up a little, blinked, and took the glass, popping a couple of aspirin in his mouth and taking a large swig of water to wash them down.

"Ah. Nothing more satisfying than cold water, right?" He said lightly, setting the glass down on the bedside table. Steve shrugged.

"I guess so. Anyways, I have to-"

"Lay down with me, Cap, the night's still young," Tony cut in, as always. Steve sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"Tony, look, I'm really tired and-"

"You're in no shape to be getting home. I get it. So lay down," Tony said again, ignoring Steve's pleas. Said blond eyed Tony warily, wondering what sort of trick he was up to this time, but he could see no signs on the worn face of his friend. So, he cautiously stepped over to the other side of the bed and sat down, back straight and shoulders tense. Tony raised one graceful eyebrow at him in disbelief.

"C'mon Cap, I'm not gonna bite you. All I'm asking is for a bedtime story to send me away to sweet sleep, where I'll emerge on the other side with the worst hangover I've had in a long time," he said sincerely. Steve sighed quietly and inched further on the bed, kicking his shoes off and pulling his legs up to his chest. Tony watched him for a minute and shrugged, as if to say "well, close enough". He turned and lied down, folding his hands over his stomach and closing his eyes.

"Alright, Rogers, spill it. All your deep-dark secrets, right now," Tony murmured with a grin. Steve glanced at him to see if he was joking and sighed quietly.

"Why? Didn't your dad tell you everything about me? As I remember, he liked to talk almost as much as you," Steve answered with a hint of annoyance. Tony grunted, neither a pleased or upset sound.

"Yeah, well, dad and I didn't exactly see eye-to-eye," He muttered. "The only thing we ever talked about was how much of a disappointment I was in his eyes."

Steve swallowed the sudden lump in his throat and resisted the urge to reach out and comfort Tony. Instead, he said,

"I'm sorry, that was mean of me-"

"Hey, don't worry about it, Cap. I didn't drag you out of bed at one in the morning to tell you a sob story. Truth is, I don't know why I called you. I wasn't actually that drunk."

Truth _was,_ Tony _did _know why he called Steve over, but he wasn't about to admit that anytime soon. Especially since he snorted with laughter at his last comment.

"You? Not that drunk? Tony, you always go all out when you drink," Steve hummed with a smile. Tony winced with exaggeration and pointed at his heart.

"That hurt, Cap, right here," he scolded, opening his eyes and offering a smile of his own. Encouraged by his exhaustion, Steve laughed. And laughed. And laughed, until Tony joined him and they were a laughing mess. Steve uncurled his knees and leaned back, his arm wrapped around his aching stomach as he tried to calm his hysterical laughter. Tony was doing much of the same.

Eventually, the laughter subsided into short, giggling fits. Steve wiped his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall.

"I haven't laughed that hard since...well, it's been a while," he sighed. "Not since the carnival with Bucky, just before the war..." He trailed off, smiled fading. Tony leaned up on his elbow and looked, _really looked_ at Steve; he was surprised to find all the little things he noticed, such as the startling blue shade of his eyes, to the perfect, ageless blond in his hair. Tony swallowed self-consciously and lied back down, his half-assed comfort spiel dying on his lips.

After a tangibly awkward silence, Steve cleared his throat and said:

"Well, I should probably get back, it is almost...uh...three."

Alarm and something else welled in Tony's chest, causing him to roll over and swat Steve back down on the bed. A heavy sigh escaped Steve as he pushed Tony's hand away, ignoring the electric shock the touch sent through his system.

"Tony, really, I-"

"Just stay. No, seriously, there's plenty of room and I want you to stay. Don't be a stranger." Tony stared at Steve with such intensity, it froze Steve right in his tracks. He could feel his face heat up and his hands shake with the sudden nervousness of the situation. He felt far away and disconnected as he swam through the unexpected flood of emotion.

"Why did you come drag my miserable ass out of that club tonight?" Tony asked suddenly. Steve jumped, as the brunette's voice seemed way too loud in the silence that had fallen over them.

"Because we're friends," came his instant reply, before he could fully consider the question. Something akin to hurt and confusion flashed in Tony's eyes, but it was gone too fast for Steve to tell.

"Always the good guy, right, Rogers?" Tony mumbled, crossing his arms across his chest and closing his eyes. Steve's brows furrowed in confusion but just as he opened his mouth to ask what he did wrong, when Tony continued talking, sounding more and more aggravated. "You know, I could've just called a cab. Hell, I could've walked home. I didn't drink _at all._ You know why I made all of that up, Rogers, captain of the oblivious?"

"Tony, I-"

"I just wanted to see you. There, I said it. Me, the genius-millionaire-playboy-philanthropist gets lonely sometimes, alright? And even I can't talk about science forever. And...I knew you wouldn't say no."

Steve knew, somewhere in the back of his mind, that he should be offended that Tony had taken advantage of his good-guy nature, but he couldn't bring himself to be so. His mind was still frozen on the whole "I-just-wanted-to-see-you" bit. His blue eyes were wide with shock and he could feel the gears in his head straining to turn.

"I...Tony...but, you got sick, in the bathroom-" Steve babbled helplessly.

"I've had the stomach flu for a few days, just passing," Tony muttered.

"And- and I can get into the house-"

"You and Pepper," Tony confirmed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Look, Steve, if you're just going to sit here and babble senselessly, there's no point in continuing this conversation."

Steve stopped then and gathered his thoughts, slowly, one-by-one. Did Anthony Stark really say that? Did he really mean that he wanted Steve here with him? It was almost too much. The blond sucked in a deep breath and held on to it for a long while, contemplating. Sure, he loved and respected Tony as a good friend, and sure, maybe sometimes feelings that felt stronger than friendship lingered on his mind, but he always wished to keep it strictly professional. He never entertained the thought that Tony, the infamous playboy, the recluse, the _genius_ would ever think twice about a guy like Steve. But here they were.

"Look, I'll have JARVIS call-" Tony began heavily, sitting up. Without thinking, Steve turned and practically leaped on him, wrapping him up in a tight hug. He could feel the arc reactor whir against his chest, a steady hum that, if Steve was being optimistic, he felt go just a little faster when he embraced Tony. The brunette himself froze and felt his breath catch in his throat.

"Will you shut up for once in your life?" Steve murmured close to Tony's ear. "Sometimes other people like to talk."

After a long pause, Tony managed to unfreeze himself and hesitantly slide his hands over Steve's toned arms, around to his back in a light but sure hug.

"I'll stay," the blond added. "Tony...I came and got you because I knew you needed me. And as long as you need me, well...I'll always be there." He could feel the genius slump heavily against him, as if some great weight had been lifted.

"I'm falling asleep, Cap..." He sighed. "That took it out of me..."

Steve smiled against Tony's cheek, feeling infinitely light and content.

"We can sleep and talk in the morning," he promised, lightly pushing Tony to lay down. The brunette complied, curling up as Steve tucked him in. The blond crawled under the covers as well, smiling as Tony wormed his way closer to him.

Together, they fell asleep and slept through the day, ignoring anything and everyone that tried to interrupt them. When they woke up later that afternoon, they simply lied there, smiling and laughing at anything an everything. It was as though the world was made new for both of them and they had all the time in the world to explore it, together forever, hand-in-hand.


End file.
